Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1887-11-22
IMITATION opALs.
rs. proa.nbie Industry Carried on p1
her of sharp MeSicans-.

IA
n her of sharp MeAcahs-
Among the little souvenirs when
visitors from abroad like to secure In
visit TO Paso del Norte none are more
popular than opals. In the hrst place
the stone at its best Is extremely hand
some. and in the second place, there Is
no difficulty dropping few OF them IN
ones vest pocket and smuggling them
across the frontier into the United
States. Thus the visitor has not only
the pleasure of securing gem ut II low
6oure. but has also the gratifying con-
sciousness that he has done something
smart.
II il said that this has been going on
for some, tina, and has melted num-
Der of s..arp Mexitans to the manufac-
ture of imitation Opals. which they
have sold in large quantities. A rail
road man engaged on the Southern IA
cific admitted to your correspondent Il
few days ago that he had been taken
in" by one of the willy vendors OF glass
..pems." His headquarters are at New
Orleans, and in the discharge of hi
duties he makes frequent visits to +
Paso. On one of these occasions h,
was induced to purchase four Of the so
called opals, for which he paid what
would have been about one-third o.
their value had they been genuine. H.
said:
81 took them down to New Orleans
to be set in scarf-pins, and when tht
ieweler saw them he looked serious,
stuck magnifer in his eye and told
me the things were glass. They were
fine limitations and worth about 81. 20 a
gross. | want to meet the Mexican
that sold 'em to me just once before
die"
1t is said that the trade in these bogus
| stones in the little Mexican town has
been extensive, and the gentleman re-
ferred to states that many Americans
have been swindled. The scheme is
ingenious, for the purchaser, knowing
that he is breaking the law In SNUG
Cling them over, is sure to keep the
supposittious gems securely hidden
until he gets well away from Ell Paso.
The usual mode Of operation is rs fol-
lows: A dilapidated Mexican ap
proaches the tourist and inquiries in
broken English whether he wants t.
buy any opals, adding that he has some
he mined himself. A box Of stones Of
different sizes is produced, and the
prices asked are about third less than
those of the stores. The vender i:
always ready to add a picturesque
effect to the swindle by narrating his
adventures in getting the stones and
the meeting generally terminates in q
purchase. OF course all his wares are
counterfeit.
The opal is the aristocrat Of gems
and rs far as an expert is concerned il
is impossible to make an imitation thai
will deceive. But most people are
familiar with the general appearance
only and that is pretty we'll simulated
by the Mexican makers.
The police have reason to believe
that the bogus opals are made at Past
del Norte, and are watching the estab
lishment in which they suspect thu
stones to be made. 1t is scarcely
necessary to say that no established
business house has any connection will
the matter. The industry is purely
local one, for if it were practiced wher,
smuggling did not exist, the purchase
would find out at the first jewelry stor,
that he had been victimized. -Housto,
Cor. JeUelerS' Weekly.